Hejsan!
This week has been absolutely draining, but a good experience.
On Monday we were scrambling and running around crazy getting everything ready for transfers as the new missionaries would arrive the next morning. The next morning I got to drive a stick! It was a huge van and was a manual, so I was more than happy to volunteer as the driver. It handled about like a big truck, but was real fun to drive. The new group came in at 13 Elders, with two more coming soon. One got delayed a week or so for an ankle problem and the other was a visa-waiter. We did orientation, took them contacting, and did all that good stuff. That night we taught probably the best member-dinner-lesson I've ever had on my mission. It was my first time meeting the one son, and we taught about the Book of Mormon and watched that video made by a bunch of returned missionaries that I think circulated around a while ago called "What is the Book of Mormon?" Afterwards we asked them what their favorite thing about the Book of Mormon was, and that son, who was almost in tears told us that he loves how he can receive answers from it. How you can open up to any page and find something that will help you. Then I asked him, "Do you know why that is?" He said, "Because it's true. And the Holy Ghost bears witness of it." The Spirit was so strong in that home, and as we left we knew that we had prepared the message God wanted us to share with that family.
On Wednesday I got my new companion, Elder Swenson! He's from Sandy Utah, and we get along real well and are excited to be together for these next 12 weeks (I'm training him). We got into our apartment on Wednesday to find out that the last elders to be there (about 5 months ago) didn't leave it in too good of condition, and only a cat had been in and done anything about it since then. So we spent most of the day just trying to get the place into working condition, as in getting rid of most of the spiders and silver-fish and such that covered the stove, desks, table, and beds. We went over to a wonderful strong member family in the branch up here for dinner, and they are excellent cooks, as well as fellowshippers. The father kept saying Salt Lake in a Finnish accent making it sound like some sort of Finnish licorice, making it hard to understand a few things he said, but it was fun.
On Thursday we had our first district meeting together, and had the Elders in our district help us clean our apartment into manageable condition so we could start unpacking and trust the rooms we lived in. The whole day I was feeling weak and a little feverish, but during the cleaning I just collapsed on my bed and couldn't move for a bit, then got up and helped a little before I did it again, and finally I just stopped trying and laid there until everyone was gone, got a thermometer, and found out my temperature was 100.4. I called Sister Beckstrand and she thought I said 104 so she told me to get into a doctor. After about 45 min of trying to get into different medical facilities nearby my temperature rose to 104, and I was feeling pretty bad. I took some ibuprofen to get the fever to go down, and the medical people said wait out the night unless it gets a lot higher, then go to the ER. So I went to bed.
The next day when I woke up the fever was down to 100, and by dinner time it was gone, but the aftermath was there. I was so weak that I could barely get around. I took a shower, and it wiped me out so much that I had to lie down and take a nap afterwards to recover. It was terrible. And I got a bad diarrhea. That's basically how that day went. On Saturday I felt quite a bit better, so we went and played innebandy for 2 hours with the members, and that showed me how tired I really was, but we worked hard and got out that day and did some great work despite my lack of strength.
Sunday was incredible. The members here are fantastic, and really are ready for this place to grow into a ward. They reach out and care for each other like no place I've seen before. This is the city where missionary work began in Sweden and Scandinavia. It's incredible to be in the city where it all began. The Spirit is here and it is strong. We are ready to see the Lord work miracles among His children in this city. The members are strong and have the Spirit.
Have a great week!
Äldste Liddle
The office crew
Äldste Liddle and Bishop Gleissman of the Täby Ward
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